Connector pin headers are primarily used for interconnecting a receptacle connector to metalized circuit traces on a printed circuit board. The pin header includes a relatively long, thin insulating block having a series of pins projecting therethrough on some desired center to center spacing, 0.100 inches for example. The pins are spaced to correspond to plated through holes in the printed circuit board. The pin header is electrically and mechanically attached to the printed circuit board by inserting the shanks or solder tails of the pins of the pin header into the plated through holes until the insulating block engages the surface of the printed circuit board. The shanks of the pins are then soldered to the plated through holes when the other components are soldered to the board. The pins projecting outwardly from the pin header will then mate with a standard receptacle connector made for that purpose. Pin headers may be cut from standard length pin header stock, which may have 40 pin positions along its length and may include single, double, or triple parallel rows of pins.
The machines, available on the market today, for cutting pin headers from pin header stock either shear or saw the insulating block. In all cases the machine is arranged to accommodate the standard length pin header stock. Shearing tools or saw blades are then assembled to an arbor with appropriate spacers therebetween. Spacers and multiple cutters may be assembled to simultaneously cut several pin headers of a desired length. For example, such a machine could be set up to produce five, seven pin position pin headers from every standard length pin header stock with a residual piece left over having five pin positions. With every cycle of the machine the arbor is moved bringing the cutters into engagement with the insulating block thereby cutting the five pin headers. The residual piece is then removed, a new pin header stock inserted, and the machine again cycled. Such machines are complex in nature and require substantial skill and time to set up. Further, the residual piece must be manually removed along with the newly cut pin headers and a new length of pin header stock inserted into the machine, thereby requiring constant operator involvement.
What is needed is a pin header cutting machine that is relatively easy to set up and which may be loaded with a supply of pin header stock and left to run with minimal operator involvement.